1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to working on and maintaining overhead cables, such as those used for the transportation and distribution of electric power. The invention can also apply to cables of transportation means, such as cable railways and other cabins carried by cables.
2. Description of the Related Art
Once installed, all these overhead cables require numerous maintenance, repair and arrangement operations. Thus, within the framework of the maintenance and arrangement programs of the power distribution network, Electricite de France has to carry out numerous interventions. These include the installation of beacons or spacers for maintaining two cables at a constant distance from one another, the replacement of cable sleeves on conductor bunches, etc. require human intervention on the cables or the laying of these cables on the ground. The first type of intervention consists of climbing an adjacent pylon and then moving along the cables, which is obviously very dangerous. The second type of intervention is extremely long and expensive.
It is also very frequently necessary to place colored or self-luminous beacons having a diameter of approximately one meter on overhead cables, said beacons being used for clearly indicating the presence of these cables to aircraft and helicopters flying in air space close to the cables.
The invention aims at facilitating, improving and accelerating this type of intervention on any random type of overhead cable.